Our recent cruise on the Royal was our 19th on Princess, 7th Christmas, and first on the new design Royal/Regal ships.
My first impression of the Royal's design was ???! It's almost as if Princess needed a new ship, found one almost completed somewhere, and made enough final alterations to brand it a Princess vessel. Noticeably missing: a pool (they had one mid-deck pool and another aft in the "Retreat" area), a promenade deck, the signature Wheelhouse Bar (now relegated to a open pass-by in front of the Crown Grille), the library (now a closet), even the MUTS screen looked as if they showed up to install it one day and had to find a spot to attach it (bet it does wonders for drag, serving as a giant wind barrier). We miss the stunning Skywalker's Lounge where we usually enjoy our Plat/Elite cruiser cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. I never did find the spa.
But I digress. The interiors shined with soft beige/tan finish accented with shiny brass tastefully placed. Even the Christmas decorations were high-end affairs, silver/gold abundantly dressed but never obtrusively. No crackers in the DR on Christmas were no surprise; after 7 Holiday cruises, we can report that crackers are the exception rather than the norm - only seeing them three (3) trips out of our 7.
Small balcony, but redesigned mini was adequate.